Sifter.



Patented Apr. 8, I902.

J. E. MUELLER.

SIFTER.

(Applicatiun filed July 11, 1901.]

4 Sheets-Shei I,

(n6 Model.)

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No. 696,997. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

J. E. MUELLER.

SIFTEB.

(Application filed July 11, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 $heets$heet 2.

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N0. 696,997., Patented Apr. 8, I902.

J. E. MUELLER.

SIFTER.

Application filed July 11, 1901 1 (No-Model.)

4 Sheets$heet 3,

NTTED STATES JOSEPH E. MUELLER,

PATENT FFICE.

OF CAIRO, ILLINOIS.

SIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming 108.1755 (if Letters Patent N0. 696,997, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed July 11,1901. Serial No. 67,897. (No model.)

I To all 1072,0172, may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cairo, in the county of Alexander and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sifters, and is more particularly designed as an improvement in sifters for flour.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sitter of that class usually employed by bakers and to so construct the sitter that by the use of the same a larger amount of work may be accomplished in a given period of time than with the form of sitter now universally employed, and, furthermore, the invention aims to provide a sitter which will thoroughly mix the flour and reduce the obnoxious dust during the sifting operation to a minimum.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sitter the parts of which are so related that the same may be readily separated when desired.

With these general objects in view and others which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood the invention consists substantially in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sifter constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the sifter with the cover removed, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the sifter. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the sections constituting the top of the sitter-body. Fig. 6 is an end elevation, in open position, of the sieve. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the reel. Fig. 8 is a similar view of one of the locking-slides for maintaining the reel in proper relation to the sieve. Fig. 9 is a perspective View illustrating the sifter adapted for use with a bakers trough. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a modified form of reel adapted for a sifter utilized body 1 is provided with a vertically-arranged slot 2, and the sides of said slots are each grooved to provide guides 3 for a purpose to be presently stated. Arranged within the body l is the sieve,designated by the numeral 4,and said sieve comprises a pair of sections 5, the lower edges of which are hingedly connected together, as at 6, so that said sections maybe readily opened to permit the insertion within the same of the flour-reel 7. The sieve 5 comprises a pair of heads 8, preferably formed of wood, and connected to said heads and surrounding same is a sieve fabric 9, preferably formed of wire-gauze, said sieve fabric being suitably braced to maintain the same in proper shape. The heads 8 are each pro vided with upwardly-extending necks 10, and each of said necks at its upper end is provided with an outwardly-extending engaging lug 11. It will be observed, however, that one section of each of the heads 8 is provided with a tongue 12, which tongues are received by grooves 13, formed in the opposite section, and through the medium of said tongues and grooves the sections of the heads are designed to form a tight joint when closed together. It will also be observed that the sieve fabric 9 terminates slightly from the base of the necks 10, at which point is arranged a metallic sheathing 14:, which sheathing extends to the upper ends of the necks 10, and thereby forms a threat through which the flour is adapted to pass into the sieve.

The reel 7 comprises a longitudinally-extending shaft 15, upon which is mounted a pair of heads 16, spaced a suitable distance from each other, and arranged upon the peripheries of said heads at spaced intervals is a series of longitudinally-extending heaters 17, which heaters are designed to act upon the flour for effecting sifting thereof. The

shaft 15 is of sufficient length to project through the slots 2 of the casing 1, and arranged at the lower end of each of said slots is a bearing-block 18, upon which the shaft 7 is adapted to rest. Also arranged within each of the slots 2 is a removable securingblock 19, said blocks being provided at their sides with outwardly-extending tongues 20, and said tongues are adapted to fit within the grooves 3, so as to prevent displacement of the blocks 19 from the slots. The lower ends of the blocks 19 snugly fit upon the ends of the shaft 15, and said shaft is firmly held thereby upon the bearing-blocks 18, so as to preserve the proper relation between the reel 7 and the sieve.

Arranged Within each end of the body 1 is a supporting-block 2 l, the upper edge of which is cut out in substantially a semicircular form, and extending between said blocks 21 is a series of longitudinally-arranged supporting-strips 22.

The sieve when placed within the body 1 is adapted to be received by the blocks 21 and to rest upon the strips 22, and it will thus be seen that the sieve is firmly supported by said blocks and strips.

Arranged upon the upper portion of the casing 1 is a sectional top 23, each of the sec tions of which is provided at its outer edge with an upwardly-extending flange 24, having an overhanging rib 25, and each of the sections of-said top is recessed at its inner edge in order to embrace the necks 10 of the heads 8, the meeting edges of said sections being provided with a tongue 26 and a groove 27 for receiving said tongues. It will also be observed that the inner edge of each of the sections of the top is provided with a notch 28, said notches receiving lugs 11 of the necks 10, and each of said notches 28 is provided at its lower portion with an inclined surface 29, upon which the bottom portions of the lugs 11 are adapted to rest. Through the medium of the notches 28 and surface 29 it will be seen that the lugs 11 are tightly embraced by the sections of the top 23, and consequently the necks 10 of the heads 8 are firmly held so that the sieve is prevented rotating.

A cover 30 is arranged upon the top 23, said cover being disposed beneath the ribs 25, and in order to limit the inward movement of the cover 30 each of the flanges 24 at one of their ends is provided with an inwardly-extending stop 31, the edges of the cover 30 being recessed in order to permit free contact with the stops 31 and thereby limit the inward movement of the cover. The latter is also provided with a longitudinally-arranged hopper 32, and said hopper is adapted to register with and discharge into the throat of the sieve.

The sections of the top 23 are maintained upon the casing 1 through the medium of hooks 33, which engage eyes 34:, carried by the sections of said top, and when said hooks are in engagement with said eyes it will be seen that said sections are fixedly connected to the casing 1; but immediately upon their release from said eyes said sections may be slid away from the sieve and the latter easily removed.

The heads 8 of the sieve are also provided with bearings 35, adapted to receive the shaft 15 of the reel 7, and said bearings enable the reel to work during the sift-ing operation and maintain the reel in its proper relation to the sieve, a crank 36 being arranged at one end of the shaft 15 for rotating the reel.

In Figs. 9, 10, and 11 is illustrated another form of the invention, in which the sifter is adapted to be used in connection with a bakers trough, and referring thereto the numeral 37 designates a bakers trough which is of the usual formation. The sifter is mounted upon the upper edges of the sides of the trough 37 and extends transverselythereof, and in order that said sifter may be properly held thereon the body of the same is provided at each end with a pair of outwardlyextending supporting-hooks 38. These hooks.

are designed to embrace the upper edges of the trough 37, and it will thus be seen that the sifter is firmly held thereon, butcapable of easy removal. It will of course be understood that sifters employed in the connection just stated are necessarily of the larger sizes, and in order that the same may be properly operated it is highly desirable to employ in connection with the reel thereof a roller 39. This roller is centered around the shaft 15, and to the roller 39 heaters are connected. It will be observed, however, that the heaters in this form of the invention are arranged in an oblique manner in relation to the shaft 15 in order that the same may be better operated upon the flour to force the same down and through the sides of the sieve fabric 9. Through the medium of the roller 39 the fall of the flour may be regulated and an overaccumulation at the bottom of the sieve fabric may be effectually prevent-ed.

With the parts assembled in the manner illustrated and described it is obvious that when flour is placed within the sieve, being introduced therein through the hopper 32, merely rotating the shaft 15 effects rotation of the reel 7, and the heaters 17, acting upon the flour within the sieve, causes said flour to be forced through meshes of the sieve fabric and out through the bottom of the body 1. When, however, it is desired to remove the sieve from the body 1, it is merely necessary to withdraw the cover 30, and after this has been accomplished the hooks 33 are disengaged from the eyes 34, whereupon the sections of the top 23 may be removed from around the neck of the sieve. The securingblocks 19 are now withdrawn from the slots 2, and by applying upward pressure upon the sieve t the latter may be raised from the body 1, through the slots 2 thereof. Thus it will be seen that when necessary the sieve may be easily withdrawn from the casing 1, and it is also obvious that the same may be replaced by simply revorsing the operation thus described.

WVhile the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be a preferable embodiment thereof, it will of course be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, and the right is therefore reserved to modify or vary the invention as falls within the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a sifter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and provided with an upwardly-extending throat; a sectional top arranged upon said body and embracing the throat of the sieve, the sections of said top being provided with upwardly extending flanges having overhanging ribs; a cover fitting beneath said ribs and provided with a hopper registering with the throat of the sieve, and a reel journaled in the sieve.

2. In a sifter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and comprising a pair of sections hinged together; said sieve being provided with an upwardly-extending throat; a reel journaled within said sieve; a top arranged upon said body and embracing the throat of the sieve, said top beingprovided with a pair of upwardly-extending flanges having overhanging ribs; and a cover ar; ranged beneath said ribs and provided with a hopper registering with the throat of the sieve.

3. Ina sitter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and formed of hinged sections, a sectional top carried by the casing and embracing the sieve and serving to hold the sections together and a reel in said sieve.

at. In a sitter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and formed of hinged sections, the upper ends of said sections forming a throat, a sectional top carried by the body and embracing the throat of the sieve whereby the hinged sections are held together, and a reel in said sieve.

5. In a sitter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and formed of hinged'sections, the upper ends of said sections forming a throat, outwardly-extending lugs to the throat, a sectional top arranged upon said body and embracing the throat of the sieve whereby the sections thereof are held together, the sections of said top being provided with notches adapted to receive the outwardly-extending lugs carried by said throat and support the sieve, and a reel in said sieve.

6. In a sitter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and comprising a pair of sections hinged together, a reel arranged Within said sieve, and a top upon the body embracing and supporting the sieve and adapted to hold the hinged sections together.

7. In a sitter, the combination with a body; of a sieve arranged therein and comprising a pair of sections hingedtogether, said sieve being provided with an upwardly-extending throat, a reel journaled within said sieve, and a top arranged upon the bodyand embracing the throat of the sieve and adapted to support the same and hold the hinged sections together. I

S. In a sitter, the combination with a body having a slot at each end; of a sieve arranged within said body and formed of hinged sections, a reel journaled within said sieve, a shaft theretoextending through said slots, securing blocks arranged within said slots and fitting upon said shaft, and a top arranged upon the body and removably secured thereto, said top en gaging'the sieve and adapted to support the same and hold the hinged sections together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. MUELLER.

Witnesses:

W. J. HARGRAVE, WILL HARRIS. 

